Wafler in an interview

Olympic hopeful: “I have the right to play poker too”

Tim Wafler feels ready for his first Olympic Games.

(Bild: Kronesport/Hofer)

Tim Wafler will be chasing medals for Austria as a track cyclist at the Olympic Games. The 22-year-old has thus fulfilled his big dream. Wafler spoke to "Sportkrone.at" about his expectations, the difficult training conditions and his most precious moments. 

"Kronesport": You managed to qualify for the Olympic Games. How much does that mean to you?
Tim Wafler: It was already my big childhood dream. I always thought this Olympic flair was extremely cool. That's why I watched the games spellbound in front of the TV. In principle, my whole career has been geared towards being at the Olympic Games. I'm extremely pleased that it's happening so early. I'm already finding the preparations extremely cool. That's what an athlete lives for: this intensive preparation paired with anticipation. It's certainly the coolest thing I've been able to do in my career so far.

Why have you been drawn to track cycling?
It's simply a sport with an extremely wide range of possibilities and, above all, it's extremely entertaining. The longest races last about an hour. And there's always action, there's always something happening. 

What does your program look like at the Olympics? 
 I will be competing in the omnium, a small multi-discipline event with four disciplines. It starts with a scratch. The aim is to finish first and collect the most points. This is followed by the speed race. There are a total of 36 scoring sprints, i.e. one every lap. Whoever has the most points wins the discipline. In other words, you have to decide when to use your strength or save it, because of course you can't win all 36 sprints. This is followed by the elimination race, where one of the 22 riders is eliminated every 30 seconds. This is very stressful for us riders. In these three disciplines, you collect points for each position, which you then use to start the final points race. That's another 25 kilometers with ten classification sprints and that's where the final battle for places takes place. It is still possible to correct one or two places, but the classification will not be changed to any great extent. Because if you were bad in the first competitions, you can't win any more with a good points race. The point is that you have to be relatively consistent in all competitions.

And you also compete in the Madison ...
Yes, exactly. That's a 50-kilometer race where you start in pairs. There is always one rider in the race and you take turns with a spin. You collect points together and whoever has the most points at the end wins. 

Wafler during strength training in Südstadt.

(Bild: Kronesport/Hofer)

What expectations do you have going to Paris?
I'm currently fifth in the world rankings. I actually wanted to enjoy a bit of underdog status, but unfortunately I don't have that anymore. But the Olympics are another matter. I'm definitely not the big favorite. Nevertheless, I want to be aggressive in the races. After all, I don't have much to lose, these are my first Games, so winning is not a must. But track cycling is often a bag of surprises. A lot can happen. The last world champion was a Portuguese rider who nobody really had on their radar. So if things go perfectly, I can also win a medal. I have set the top 10 as my minimum goal. To finish in the top eight and get an Olympic diploma would be a great dream. Of course, I'll gladly take anything extra (laughs). I'll take a risk, it's my first Games and I have the right to gamble a little. 

What experience have you already gained on the Paris track and how does it suit you?
Two years ago, I took part in my first World Championships there. It's a very nice track that reminds me of the old Dusika Stadium. Unfortunately, it hasn't been there since 2021, but I still have it in my blood. It was extremely hot in Paris in 2022, so I'm now preparing for temperatures like that. So it shouldn't be down to the track.

It's a very nice track that reminds me of the old Dusika Stadium. Unfortunately, it's been gone since 2021, but I still have it in my blood.

Tim Wafler

What does your program look like until the Olympic Games? 
 First up is the Tour of Upper Austria, then it's off to Belgium for a big Olympic test. Then the plan is for me to return to the road and compete in the Tour of Austria. This first tour will be the next highlight for me. It will be very tough, so hopefully I'll just be able to work well for the team. After that, I'll probably go to the U23 European Championships in track cycling. That will be the last event before the Games. Then we'll fly to Mallorca for twelve days, but not to party, but to train, that's the final touch. About four days before the competition, we'll go to Paris, because it will certainly be hectic there.

You mentioned the now demolished Dusika Stadium earlier. How much do the training conditions suffer as a result?
It makes everything extremely complicated. I train a lot on the road because we simply don't have the opportunity to train on a track here. That's why we have to travel a lot. I'm away from home a lot of days a year. Recently, for example, I spontaneously went to Portugal because there's a track there and it's now very important to train on the track every week. It's okay for me now because I can finance the trips, with the sponsors, with the army, so I'm grateful. But it's difficult for the next generation.

Tim Wafler recovers after an intensive training session.

(Bild: Roland Wafler)

You don't have many days off at the moment. But there are still these phases of recovery. What do you do to clear your head?
It's simply a case of doing nothing at all. I sleep in on these days and then the time actually belongs to my girlfriend, family and friends. With all the training and competitions, I'm at home so little, so there's very little time for any social contact. When the weather is good in summer, I like to spend some time in the garden with my sisters. I always look forward to these days.